Vocabulary development
Communication and language provide the foundations of learning, thinking and well-being. Research shows that the size of a child’s vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading success and also for future academic achievement. At Linthorpe Community Primary School, we prioritise language development through high-quality interactions and a carefully planned curriculum.
Vocabulary is infused throughout the whole of our curriculum leading to pupils’ greater understanding of the world around them. We have a strong aspiration to close the vocabulary gap so that children can have greater success as adults and therefore greater mental health. We use research-informed evidence to structure the teaching and learning of new vocabulary.
To help ensure all children have a vocabulary-rich understanding, we:
- provide children with a language rich environment
- explicitly teach high frequency words and subject specific words (see below)
- provide daily reading opportunities that include vocabulary that is unfamiliar
- prioritise high quality interactions with children
- practise formal and informal vocabulary
Teaching vocabulary
Words can be organised into three tiers.
We use Tier 1 words every day in the classroom
We select and explicity teach Tier 2 words from our daily reading books. Some Tier 2 words are also defined on our subject knowledge organisers.
Tier 3 words are the technical words we use in our curriculum subjects. These words are explicitly taught and can be found on our subject specific knowledge organisers.
Websites & Blogs
This website provides lots of advice and tips on how to develop vocabulary.
This article provide practical tips for developing vocabulary in children
Useful tips and books to develop vocabulary
- Teach children to use a dictionary and thesaurus.
- Play word games such as, ‘Boggle’, ‘Scrabble’ and ‘Bananagrams’.
- Label objects around the home and use a wide range of adjectives to describe them.
- Read different types of books, discuss the meaning of any new words that are read.
